This year my family was surprised with tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (or MNSS as I will be referring to it occasionally) tickets. It’s been at least 10 years since our last party, so we were eager to hit up the Magic Kingdom for some trick-or-treats and see all that Disney had to offer the Halloween season.
At the end of the night, I realized we didn’t get to see everything and it was because we went ill-prepared for the evening. So, to help those going later in the season, I’ve prepared this helpful little guide to make sure no one else makes the same mistakes we did.
Mistakes
Boo Mistake 1. Don’t go expecting to see everything. You won’t.
Boo Mistake 2. Don’t forget your own bag. Disney gives you a free bag and as many as you want, but they are cheap flimsy bags and you want something strong and sturdy to carry all that delicious candy. And preferably something to carry it comfortably all night long.
Boo Mistake 3. Don’t skip the Haunted Mansion act. Yes, I said act—as in actors. There are actors on the front lawn that are improvising and they are worth stopping and watching for a bit. Yell at them and join in the fun. Don’t miss this!
Book Mistake 4. If you have a picky eater, don’t be afraid to tell the candy people only gummy candy or ask for a teal bag so you can get the allergy-friendly candy at the allergy-friendly stations. They will accommodate you.
Boo Mistake 5. Dress comfortably. Everyone can dress up (this is the only time when adults can dress up, so everyone in the group should take advantage of it), but remember you are dealing with Florida heat, so wigs, gloves, long skirts, and other costume pieces might be uncomfortable for hours on end. Try on your costume pieces for multiple hours before wearing them to the party and walk around in them at night to ensure you will be okay with them in the park.
See Disney’s website for complete costume restrictions.
Entertainment Tracks
Now that we have that out of the way, it’s time for you to decide what you are going to the party for. I’ve divided the party up into four tracks:
- Food
- Shows
- Treats
- Rides
Food Track
If food is your thing, that’s great. MNSS will not disappoint.
Some of the locations have specialty items that you can only get during Mickey’s Not So Scary, so that is what makes the Food Track special.
The Important thing to note is that while the park is open till midnight, most food vendors will close by 11 PM. And never be afraid to ask for a cup of water instead of paying for bottled.
The following locations will be open during the party.
Main Street
Main Street Bakery – Not-so-poison apple cupcake, Halloween cinnamon roll, pumpkin cheesecake, and Starbucks beverages.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor – Hand-scooped ice cream and waffle bowl sundaes.
Casey’s Corner – Minnie witch brownie, specialty all-beef hot dogs, and corn dog nuggets.
Adventureland
Aloha Isle – Dole Whips! and Hitchhiking Ghost dessert.
Frontierland
Golden Oak Outpost – Caramel pretzel, cinnamon donuts, and apple cider.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe – Hades’ nachos (these looked amazing!), worms and dirt dessert (this looked really small for the price), tacos, nachos, fajitas, and burgers. (closes at 11 PM)
Liberty Square
Sleepy Hallow – Jack Skellington push up pop, Zero pumpkin waffle sundae (this looked pretty good), funnel cakes, and churro ice cream sandwiches. This is also a good place to get some cups of water.
Liberty Square Market – Madam Leota dessert, slushies, grilled all-beef hot dogs, fresh fruit, and chips.
Columbia Harbour House – Lobster Roll, fish, shrimp, chicken breast nuggets, and salads. (closes at 8 PM)
Fantasyland
Gaston’s Tavern – Oogie Boogie meringue, Lefou’s Brew, and cinnamon rolls. I saw another guest purchase the Oogie Boogie and it looked pretty good. Small, but good. (closes at 10 PM)
The Friar’s Nook – Gourmet tots and frozen drinks. (closes at 8 PM)
Storybook Treats – Maleficent dessert, ice cream, and floats.
Tomorrowland
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe – Munster Smash Burger, chicken nuggets, pulled pork sandwich, and salad. My husband had the Munster Smash Burger and he really liked it. Kind of pricey, in my opinion.
Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies – Candy corn soft serve ice cream, candy corn milkshake, ice cream, smoothies, and sundaes.
The Lunching Pad – All-beef hot dogs, pretzels, and frozen drinks.
An added bonus is the popcorn vendors will be selling a special Oogie Boogie popcorn container for the first time for $17.99. It’s limited to two per group, so grab one while you’re there if you’re a fan of Nightmare Before Christmas because these things are sure to be a hot item.
Some of the treat stations are close to the food areas, so while you are hitting up the special food areas, you can get the treats along the way. Columbia Harbor House and Cosmic Rays are two I remember off the top of my head that are close to food locations. Oh, and Pecos Bill has one as well.
Shows Track
There are several shows happening around the kingdom throughout the night. A few have more than one viewing, so the later you go the better your seating options are. And if you are disabled (via visible or invisible illness) then make sure to ask for the disabled viewing area.
Make sure to get to your viewing area at least 30 minutes prior to showtime because the best spots fill up fast.
Shows at Mickey’s Not So Scary:
Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular
8:30, 10:45, and 12AM (later shows = less crowds)
This is the main castle show and features the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. Make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes early for this one because the closer to the castle stage you are the better you can see the action.
Mickey’s “Boo-To-You” Halloween Parade
9:15PM and 11:15PM
The parade starts at Splash Mountain, so if you get a seat at Main Street you don’t have to get ready so early. The Headless Horseman rides about 10 minutes before the parade starts.
My favorite part of the parade is the Haunted Mansion unit. The male dancers and their shovels are really cool to watch and the ballroom ghosts nail it every time.
Side Note: As a former entertainment cast member and parade driver, please, for the love of all the treats, don’t cross the road between the units or after the parade starts. It really is for your safety (and the performer’s nerves).
If you sit at Liberty Square, there’s a treat station right across the way and you can hit up the Haunted Mansion as well before going and watching the castle show. Three birds with one stone, so to speak.
Happy Hallowishes Fireworks
Above Cinderella’s Castle
10:15PM
This is your typical fireworks show in the sky but done with the Halloween flare. And it backs right up into the castle show. If you get a good enough spot for this that can double for the castle show, sit tight and just wait out both of them. Otherwise, go hit up some treats and come back for the midnight castle show.
Monsterous Scream-O-Ween Ball
Tomorrowland
7PM-Midnight
Join the Monsters Inc. crew including Boo herself and dance it out. I highly recommend this one because you never get to see Boo and at this party, you get to dance with Boo in her costume, Sully, and Mike W. Take some selfie’s and have some fun.
There are two treat stations on your way to this dance party, so stock up on some sugar on your way and get double the fun for this one.
I also saw a character meet and greet nearby.
Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam
7PM-Midnight
For the kiddos that can party till the late AM some of the Disney Junior Characters will be partying at the circus area in Fantasyland. I didn’t hit this area up myself, but there is a treat area at the railroad so sugar up this kiddos and get their dance on at the same time.
Treats Track
Who goes to the Magic Kingdom for Halloween and doesn’t get treats?! My family focused heavily on the treats when we were there and we hit all but one location. The guide map will tell you where they all are but I’ll give you the run around here as well so you can plan your attack.
Main Street
Market Street (this one is kind of hidden and should be your first stop). As you enter the park it’s to the far right and is usually a backstage area. It’s only open until 8PM.
Adventureland
Pirates of the Caribbean
Jungle Cruise
Frontierland
Splash Mountain
Dock to Tom Sawyer Island (skip this one if you don’t like applesauce)
Country Bear Jamboree
Liberty Square
Columbia Harbor House (also a functioning restaurant)
Fantasyland
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Ariel’s Grotto
Pinocchio Village Haus
Walt Disney World Railroad Station
Tomorrowland
Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor (double treats here)
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (also a functioning restaurant)
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Allergy-Friendly Offerings
If you trick-or-treat with a teal bag, you will be given tokens to redeem for special treats that include crafts, allergy-friendly foods, and other fun things. The following locations let you redeem your tokens:
Main Street
Town Square Theater
Liberty Square
Liberty Square Ticket Office
Rides Track
Not all the rides are open during the party and FastPass is not available. If you are disabled, though, don’t fret; the disability access is still available, just ask a cast member for assistance.
Now, let’s get something out of the way. This is the one track you will not complete in one party. No way.
The only way you would get everything done is if you buy a day ticket to the park AND a party ticket and get started early. So, with that said, pick your poison here.
Choose the rides that mean the most to you and hit them up and grab some treats along the way. That is the best way to do this one.
Some of the rides have treats at their exits which make them a bonus hit. Yay!
Main Street
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (get your exclusive card!)
Town Square Theater
Adventureland
Swiss Family Treehouse
Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Pirates of the Caribbean (Halloween edition)
Frontierland
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Liberty Square
Haunted Mansion (duh!)
Special Note – Take your time here. This ride shines this time of year. They pull out all the stops with actors on the lawn to cast members in special makeup. Sit and watch the actors do their thing, take video, and pictures. Photopass is set up with the carriage. Spend some time here. It’s worth it. And this is what your ticket is paying for.
Fantasyland
It’s a Small World
Peter Pan’s Flight
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Under the Sea-Journey of The Little Mermaid
The Barnstormer
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Mad Tea Party (Halloween Edition)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Princess Fairytale Hall
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland Speedway
Space Mountain (Halloween Edition)
Astro Orbiter
Tomorrowland Transit Authority (People Mover)
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Wait! What About Characters?
Well, about that. We saw characters, but not as many as in years past. Tarzan, Jane, and Turk hardly had a line in Adventureland. Jack and Sally had a line as long as the Haunted Mansion, and the map had a dozen or more locations pointed out, but as we walked around we only saw a few others.
Cruella was walking around harassing guests, which was nice to see, but other than that I was surprised at how few villains I saw walking around. It is Halloween after all.
It was kind of disappointing, to be honest. So, that is why you don’t see a character track listed. It’s because, well, we didn’t see the characters while we were there and the map guide doesn’t list who is where.
If you are into the characters, though, the map promises at least 18 spots to find them. I can only tell you that I found three of them.
Overall, the party was a trick-or-treating success and we had a blast. I’d easily go back for another night. I hope this guide offers you some insight and helps you with your magical vacationing planning.
